Tring Park

Tring Park belonged to Tring Mansion, now the Arts Educational School. When the A41 Tring Bypass was built the original park was split in two, and the area now known as Tring Park is the part south of the bypass.

The 300 acre park is now managed by the Woodland Trust and provides wonderful open space for the walker and naturalist. The Park was planted and landscaped in the 18th century and the monuments date from this period. The obelisk in the park, locally known as Nell Gwyn's monument, and the summer house nearby are the focus of several paths that cross the Park. They are thought to have been designed by the architect James Gibbs. The impressive avenue of lime trees was planted by the Rothschilds who bought the estate in 1872.

Access to the park is from a path just east of the zoological museum, or from Hastoe Lane (GR SP 923103) or Wigginton (GR 934108).

The Glis-Glis or Edible Dormouse

The glis-glis is a mammal which is not native to Great Britain. Glis-glis were introduced to Tring Park in 1902 by Walter Rothschild and have become established in the surrounding countryside. They are found only within a 25 mile radius of Tring and are well established in the beech woods of the Chilterns as far as Amersham and Chesham.

They resemble the grey squirrel but are smaller, about 15 cm - (6 inches) long, and with a long bushy tail. They have large black eyes. They hibernate in winter and sometimes choose to live in the roofspace of houses or outbuildings rather than their more usual nesting places in tree holes.

It is when they come into local houses that people become aware of them because of the damage that they cause. Householders may need to seek the help of the Environmental Health Officer in proofing their homes against them. The glis-glis is a protected species and a special licence is required to trap or kill them. More information for the householder is available from the Environmental Health Department of Dacorum Borough Council. Telephone: 01442 228488.

If you want to know more about the glis-glis, Dr Pat Morris of Royal Holloway College, University of London, has produced several papers which can be found at this site.

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